Brumbies set to play Pocock, Sio, Alaalatoa in defiance to rest request from Wallabies coach Michael Cheika
THE Brumbies say they’re open to limiting David Pocock, Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa’s game time after ignoring Michael Cheika’s request to sit the Wallabies trio against the Sunwolves.
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THE Brumbies ​say​ they’re open to limiting the game time of star Wallaby trio David Pocock, Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa on Sunday after the club ignored a ​Michael Cheika’s ​request ​to sit them out ​of the Sunwolves clash ​on Sunday.
With a six-day turnaround before the first Test against Ireland in Brisbane, Cheika asked the Brumbies to withdraw the trio to ensure they’d be fresh.
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But feeling the request should have come months before the game — not a week — and with a major drive to fix crowd problems and get 15,000 to the game, the ACT club declined.
All three players are named to start the game but how long they play remains to be seen.
Brumbies CEO Michael Thompson said it had been important for the club to ensure the club and its supporters had Pocock, Sio and Alaalatoa on the park but they were still open to compromise on workload; i.e. only playing one half.
“We will continue to have that discussion to get to a good result. We want to do the right thing by Australian rugby and the Wallabies but ultimately our obligations and priorities have to be to this organisation,” he said.
“Hopefully we can work with them to structure in such a way that players are in the best possible shape for the June series, and to get us a win on Sunday. ”
The discussions haven’t been resolved with the Wallabies coaches but is understood the players are still provisionally booked to fly to Brisbane on the last flight from Canberra at 7.30pm, which is a tight squeeze after a 4pm kick-off.
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar said he understood Cheika’s request but “we just felt the scheduling and the timing were a little bit off”.
“At this point in time we need to do what’s best for the Brumbies. We both understand each other’s positions, in this instance we can’t come to an agreement,” McKellar said.
“It’s not great (for the players), it’s far from ideal. That’s the learning out of this, the players are being pulled from both sides and we need to make sure moving forward this doesn’t happen again.”
The big factor at play is the Brumbies’ very public push to draw a 15,000-strong crowd, after drawing only 5200 to their last home game.
Thompson wrote an emotive letter recently to members warning the club could die if the crowds don’t return.
Though a distraction, the chance to further rally the Canberra faithful this week with a fight against RA wasn’t lost on the club. But whether it all leads to more bums on seats to see the Brumbies play a depleted Sunwolves remains to be seen.
“Hopefully (the fans) see that we’ve stuck strong and we’re making a decision on we think is the best interests of the club,” McKellar said.
Asked what he expected on Sunday, Thompson said: “I’d like to think we will get something between 12 and 15,000, maybe even a little bit more. There is a lot of good talk around about it. ”
Thompson said it was important “national interest” issues are identified and addressed earlier in the future.
“We have to work closer together, and by we I all of us as Super Rugby clubs and Rugby Australia, to get ahead of these things,” Thompson said.
Speaking on radio earlier in the day, Cheika said he stood by his position that six days wasn’t enough for players to prepare well for a Test match, but acknowledged the challenges of the Brumbies and their strong co-operation during the year.
“I have left it up with higher powers, but I understand where the Brumbies are coming from, totally,” Cheika told Macquarie Sports Radio.
‘I am trying to make a common sense decision and hopefully we can work it out between us and get some benefit for the guys. I am just keen for some of those guys to get the proper preparation they need to go in for a Test match, that’s all.
“We have worked really well with the Brumbies all year, and I am feeling it for them as well. But I just think it is the right decision for all around.
“I still believe the Brumbies have enough guns in their team to go on and beat the Sunwolves no problem.
“They’re just doing the best for themselves, which is totally understandable. We have been liaising and they have been excellent in working with us in getting to the levels we want for our players, and us working together in understanding what they need as well.”
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